Music and Love Let's Make it Work
by Sir Sunshine
Summary: They share the same interest, but will it bring them together or will it destroy everything? Can they make it work?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Kannazuki No Miko.

A/N: This is my first real attempt at writing a fanfiction. I got inspired by all the amazing fanfictions so, here goes nothing. Oh, and keep in mind that English is not my native language. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

* * *

When Kurusugawa Himeko woke that morning she felt as though the sun shone brighter than usual. She had a very good feeling about this certain day and she woke up all by herself, which was really extraordinary since she was famous for her bad sleeping habits. Her best friend Saotome Makoto usually calls to wake her up, but not on this certain day.

Himeko sat up and stretched her arms and looked at the watch on her table. It was 7:00 am. She almost gaped at it as if it was something out of this world. Himeko lay down again quite unladylike and closed her amethyst eyes hard. _Go back to sleep Himeko, there's no way you can be up this early! _She opened one eye and peeked at the watch again to confirm that it was indeed 7:00 am. After letting out a small sigh she sat up, put on her slippers and walked to the kitchen. Himeko lived alone in her house located in Tokyo. She bought it one year ago, with her own money she had been making from her being a famous singer. Three years ago she had been discovered at a talent show and was now quite famous all over Japan, she was currently 19 years old.

Himeko opened the refrigerator and poured some juice in a glass. She sat down at the table and smiled slightly as she remembered Mako's reaction after her first real performance.

* * *

"_Himeko!" Makoto was jumping up and down, trying to catch her friend's attention, but it was impossible. Makoto was standing in the middle of the cheering crowd. Himeko had just performed for the first time since she got discovered and was about to leave stage. They all loved it, loved her, her performance was excellent. Makoto sighed deeply and athletic as she was, she pushed herself through the masses of people and decided to simply call Himeko on her cell phone._

_Himeko was getting changed when she noticed her cell phone vibrating. She__ smiled as she read "Incoming call from Mako-chan" and answered cheerfully. "Hi, Mako-chan! What did you think about the performance?" She asked, expectantly._

"_Oh, it was great! You sure can sing, but it's really surprising though." Makoto had never really heard Himeko sing before, only once or twice in the shower, but the water subdued the sound, but now she truly thought it sounded great._

"_What's surprising?" Himeko asked wondering what was surprising about her singing._

"_You're kidding right? I mean come on, you singing in front of a crowd? That means PEOPLE and lots of them too." Makoto raised an eyebrow for emphasis, even though Himeko couldn't see it._

_Himeko thought for a moment and realised that Makoto was talking about her natural shyness and fear of standing in front of people._

"_Ah, uh.. well, I don't know, it's different with singing, I don't really think about it that much. Himeko said, a bit surprised herself as she hadn't thought about it before. Why was it different with singing? She usually gets all flustered in front of too many people. _

"_Well, that's good then but.." Makoto said and smiled mischievously. ".. you really shouldn't wear a skirt that short next time though. There were a lot of guys up front and you gave them quite a show and I'm not referring to the singing." She said teasingly and even though she couldn't see Himeko, she knew that she was blushing big time and that made her grin._

"_Mako-chan! Don't say such things!" Himeko cried out with a face red as a tomato. She could hear Makoto laughing and blushed even more, yes it's possible since it's Himeko._

"_Well, you did really well though, but I have to go now. Something came up, see ya!" She hung up and Himeko sighed deeply._

"_Probably some cute__ boys as usual." She couldn't help but smile at Makoto's antics.

* * *

_Himeko drank her juice and put it back in the refrigerator. _Why is it that I'm not shy when I sing anyways?_ She shrugged the thought off and went to take a shower when the phone rang loudly. _Probably Mako-chan._

"Hello?" She picked up the portable phone and went to sit in her comfy sofa.

"Hey, Himeko. I'm sorry for calling this early." Came the familiar voice, but it was not Mako-chan's. This was a male voice.

"Hi, Oogami-kun! It's fine, you didn't wake me up or anything." Himeko knew how weird that must have sounded to Souma and suppressed a giggle.

"Oh, that's great.. wait, what?!" Souma sounded quite perplexed and Himeko couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Yeah, I know it's totally weird! I woke up with this good feeling too, really strange." Himeko said amused.

Souma still hadn't recovered from the fact that Himeko was being up this early.

"Uh, hello? Oogami-kun?" Himeko hoped he hadn't died from the shock or anything, yes Himeko being up early was THAT unusual. When the initial shock was over Souma replied, still a bit taken aback though.

"Yeah, sorry.. I'm just really overwhelmed.. I was asked by Makoto to call you and wake you since she went running earlier than usual and said she would call later instead, but I guess I didn't really have to." Now he felt kind of stupid for calling and rubbed the back of his head, then he thought of something that made him forget all about Himeko being awake this early and all.

"Oh, I almost forgot! I heard something about this upcoming music competition and the jury from the competition will come to your show tonight and probably ask you to participate!" He was excited, because it was a really prestigious competition and that showed how popular Himeko was and he was happy for her.

"Ah, and I heard there's an awesome prize for the winner, don't know what though." He added quickly.

"Wait, how, when, what..?" Himeko was really confused now.

"The annual Ongaku competition!" Souma replied eagerly.

"T-the Oongaku competition?!" Himeko nearly shouted. The Ongaku competition was the biggest and most prominent music event in Japan, held in Tokyo each year and not just anybody could participate. All the previous winners of the Ongaku competition are considered musical geniuses. Himeko was really shocked, well anyone would be.

"Yeah! Isn't that what you want? You love to sing so I really think you should participate." Souma said matter-of-factly.

"B-but, I can't, I don't understand, why me?" Himeko was really taken aback and unconsciously grabbed the nearest pillow and held onto it.

"Because you're truly amazing Himeko, you're voice's really unique and you got "it"." Souma said encouragingly and just then he heard the door open and close and someone in the hallway. _Mako is back._ "Mako just got back, I think she would like to speak to you. But really, you should participate Himeko. Oh, here she comes now, I'll talk to you later, bye."

"Bye, Oogami-kun and thank you." Himeko heard Souma and Makoto exchange some quick words she couldn't make out and then she heard Makoto's familiar voice, cheerful as ever.

"Hey, Himeko! You're up early! Why's that?" Makoto didn't sound too curious or surprised though.

"Hi, Mako-chan. I don't know.. this day has turned out to be really weird." Himeko let out a small sigh and released the pillow that she was now aware of.

"Hmm, you sound nothing like your usual positive self, I know what might cheer you up!" Makoto said with a smirk. She had a great plan.

"Uh, okay.. what would that be, Mako-chan?" Himeko really needed to get her mind of the competition, so anything would do.

"Let's go shopping!" Anything but that. Shopping with Mako-chan was the same as treating Mako-chan, Himeko had the credit card after all. "Mako-chan.."

"Oh, c'mon Himeko, it'll be fun! You don't want to sit there thinking about the competition all day, now do you?"

"What? You know about the competition too, Mako-chan?" Himeko sounded anxious. "Fine, I'll go "shopping" with you." She noticed that the time was 7:25 am. "I'll meet with you at the station at.. 9:00 am, okay?"

"Great! See you then Himeko." Makoto said optimistically and hung up.

Himeko let out a small sigh and made it to the shower. After a nice warm shower and a whole lot of singing, Himeko had calmed down and was back to her usual happy self. Humming she went to her room drying her hair and putting on a white pair of jeans, a pink tank top with a white print on saying "Happy" and her trademark ribbon, a white one. Then she went to the kitchen, still humming and made a big breakfast with bacon, fried eggs sunny side up, toast and juice. After her breakfast she looked at the watch and it was now 8:40 am. _Perfect timing, that's also unusual for me. _She brushed her teeth and put on her sneakers and went out, the station wasn't that far from her house and she could walk there in 15 minutes. Himeko picked up her mp3, put in her earphones and started singing.

* * *

Makoto was already standing there and when she saw Himeko, she smiled and started waving. Himeko waved back and approached her best friend with a smile.

"Oh, so you found some happiness after all? I told you, this would make you feel better" Makoto said with a confident grin, noticing the smile and the tank top.

Himeko just rolled her eyes at Makoto and smiled. "Let's go."

They arrived at the big shopping mall and of course there were a lot of people and where there were a lot of people, there were also a lot of fans. So needless to say Himeko was recognised by many fans and had to write autographs several times. Himeko was writing an autograph for a six year old girl, when Makoto said that she would take a look in a store that had caught her interest and that she would be right back. Himeko simply nodded and directed her attention to the little girl. "There you go, Akira" She winked and smiled. The little girl beamed and stuttered forth a "t-thank you" and ran back to her mother who was standing a few feet away, she nodded in Himeko's direction and smiled appreciatively. Himeko smiled back and after waving to Akira she saw something that caught her interest. There in a window she caught sight of a book about the Ongaku competition and its history. She entered the store and went straight to where they kept the books, but to her dismay she noticed that they were keeping them on the top shelf and she would have to tiptoe to reach one. So that's what she did and once she got a hold of one she tried to bring it down, but her hold on it slipped. Himeko closed her eyes and waited for the book to fall, probably on her head, but it never occurred. Carefully she opened one eye and noticed that someone had caught the book midair one second before it would crash on her head. Himeko laid her amethyst gaze on her saviour and the first thought that popped up in her magnificent head was, _beautiful.

* * *

_

NOTE: That's it folks! Hope you enjoyed, please review and tell me what you thought, take it easy on me, kay? ;) I'll try to update as soon as possible (if you like my story and want me to that is) though it might take a while, because school's pretty hectic right now, but if you encourage me I'll see what I can do! Oh, and for those who wonder, ongaku is simply the Japanese word for music and it's not a real competition.

Have a nice day y'all!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but here's the next chappie, and you probably figured out whom Himeko's "saviour" is. (Well, duh!) I've increased the chapter length for you to enjoy, since I as a reader, prefer to read longer chapters, I hope you do too! And thanks a lot for all the reviews! They make me happeh. Well, enough with the nonsense, I hope you'll enjoy!

Chapter 2

* * *

Himeko found herself staring uncontrollably into splendid cold azure eyes belonging to the most beautiful girl she had seen. _She's really really beautiful._ She blushed madly and stared at her fidgeting hands instead.

"Is this the book you want?" The beauty asked and held out the book for Himeko to fetch. _What a beautiful voice._ Himeko shook her head at the thought, still looking down at her hands, not noticing the book that was being held out or comprehend what was being said.

"It's not? Then I'll put it back up." The beautiful girl said a bit perplexed, reaching up to put it back.

"No! W-wait, I want that." _Stupid Himeko!_ Himeko reached out for the book with a pleading look.

"Oh, I thought you didn't want it." The gorgeous girl raised an eyebrow in amusement and brought it back down for Himeko once more. "T-thank you very m-much." Himeko murmured and blushed a deep crimson when she locked gazes with the woman once again. She took the book with great gratitude and fixed her eyes on the floor.

"Be sure to be careful next time, ne?" She said and before Himeko could respond the girl had turned around gracefully and was walking out the door, past Makoto, who just walked in. Makoto had just exited the sport shop when she saw Himeko and the beautiful girl in the bookstore. She came up to Himeko, after giving the stunning girl, who was now out of sight, an odd look.

"What happened? Who was that?" Makoto asked and pointed at the direction the girl with the long midnight blue hair and the deep, cold azure eyes had gone.

Himeko was still blushing and didn't notice Makoto's presence. "Hi-me-ko!" Makoto said, waving her hand in front of the blushing girl's eyes.

"Mako-chan?" Himeko noticed her best friend for the first time since the little incident.

"Yes, it's me." She let out a sigh, massaging her temples. "What happened? Who was that?" She repeated her questioning.

"I don't know... I wanted this book and I slipped and then she came and saved me and then-" Himeko rattled and was interrupted by Makoto.

"Alright, alright, take a deep breath." Makoto said calmly, inside though she had a million questions. _What in the world got Himeko this jumpy? Who was that girl? A stalker maybe? I'll break her legs and I'll get- _Makoto was about to chase after the girl when she felt a delicate hand on her wrist holding her back.

"Wait, Mako-chan. I'm fine now, thank you." Himeko said with a slight smile.

"Are you sure?" Makoto raised an eyebrow.

"Totally" Himeko said reassuringly.

"Totally as in ABSOLUTELY sure?" Makoto being overprotective.

"Of course Mako-chan."

"Really, really, really sure?"

"..."

"One hundred percent, totally fine? Really Himeko, are you sure that you're sure?" Himeko had had enough and slapped Makoto loosely on her arm.

"Yes, Mako-chan I'm fine, really, you don't have to worry." Himeko said with an end-of-discussion-don't-you-dare-say-anything-more look in her eyes.

"Heh, fine. Let me see that book," she said, looking at the book, which Himeko handed to her. "Oh, interesting a book about the Ongaku competition. Couldn't get your mind of it, huh?" Makoto said teasingly and opened the book. _That's no problem anymore, now I can't get my mind of her._ Himeko thought, thinking about the stunning girl with the long dazzling midnight blue hair, the deep cold, yet alluring azure eyes, the long, seducing eyelashes, her pale skin and those luscious pink lips. She looked like an unapproachable goddess, though somewhere deep in those azure eyes you could see solitude, but one would have to stop and examine them profoundly. She was like the moon, cold and unreachable, yet beautiful and mesmerizing, more elegant than anything else. _Those luscious pink lips._ She thought again and absently touched her own with her finger. _I wonder what they taste like._ Himeko blushed a lovely shade of red and shook her head violently. _Dear god, what am I thinking?_

"Himeko! Look at this!" Makoto shouted excitedly which earned a few curious glances. She pointed directly at something in the book. Himeko looked over her shoulder and gasped loudly before covering her mouth with shaky hands. There on a page was a picture of the very same gorö Himeko talked to a few minutes ago.

Her name was Himemiya Chikane, 19 years old. She was an outstanding pianist born in Kyoto, Japan in the high-status Himemiya family, excelling in studies as well as sports, courteous at all times, although antisocial. She had been playing piano since the age of 5 and had won several national competitions, not to mention the last Ongaku competition with her own composed piece "Dawn". Himemiya Chikane has also been competing on international occasions and won several. To say the least, she was incredible. Himeko couldn't find any words.

"Wow, and here I thought she was a stalker or something." Makoto said, laughing ever so slightly. Himeko simply stared at the picture, not listening to her best friend. _It's the same mesmerizing azure eyes, the same luscious lips, those delicious-looking li-_

"Himeko?" Makoto poked Himeko slightly on the cheek, which immediately heated as she blushed.

"Y-yes? W-what is it?" Himeko said a bit startled. _Stop thinking about her already!_

"You spaced out... thinking about some cute boy I should know of?" Makoto said mischievously, elbowing Himeko jokingly in her side.

"No! Geez, Mako-chan" Himeko blushed all the more. _Only a very beautiful woman though, her name is Himemiya Chikane and she's a pianist.

* * *

_

Himeko sighed as she plumped down on her sofa. Not long after the incident at the bookstore, she had parted ways with Makoto and went home. Now bored, she turned on the TV to see if anything interesting was airing. There were sports, _Ugh, I hate sports, _then there was a reality show, _Ugh, I hate reality shows_, there was also a program about mushrooms, _Ugh, I really, really, hate mushrooms._ Finally there was a weird anime about some boy who could use magic that she decided to watch. After about thirty minutes of anime-watching, Himeko turned of the TV. She stretched her legs, yawned quietly and stood up. It was now 11:30 am and Himeko was up for lunch. She remembered the new café Souma and Makoto had told her about and that she just had to visit it. _Hmm, might as well try._

Himeko walked down the crowded street, alone. _Stupid Mako-chan, not answering my phone calls and Oogami-kun being busy busy busy._ Arriving in front of the newly opened café, she thought it looked cute and entered. It seemed popular as it was packed with people. The furnishing was simple, yet lovely, consisting of comfy-looking sofas and chairs surrounding round tables. There were three different sections, each consisting of their own colours and themes, even the staff had different dress codes in each section. _It's really crowded, wonder if there's any vacant seats... Ah, there's one, I can maybe sit at that table, there's only one person sitting at that table._

"Um, may I sit here?" Himeko asked timidly, pointing at a vacant seat opposite to the person already seated. The person in matter read the newspaper and brought it down to see who was speaking. Himeko immediately regretted asking as she felt her face grow pale, a shiver down her spine and her heart skipping a beat, or two. The person was none other than Himemiya Chikane. Chikane regarded Himeko in what could be best described as mirth?

"Well, certainly." Chikane motioned for Himeko to sit down.

"T-thank you." Himeko murmured shyly. After a minute of silence Chikane folded her newspaper neatly and once again turned her attention to the blushing blonde, who was focusing hard on the menu with a frown, trying intently not to look at Chikane. It didn't go unnoticed by Chikane though, in fact it was so obvious, Himeko could've just stared. _Adorable. _Chikane resisted the urge to pinch one of her red cheeks.

"You're the one from before, right? In the bookstore in the shopping mall." Chikane propped her head atop her intertwined hands, the cute blonde having her full attention now. Himeko moved her gaze from the menu to the beauty opposite her with much difficulty.

"Oh, y-yeah... I didn't realise." Himeko said nervously. _Yeah right Himeko._ Suddenly she found the table very interesting and stared attentively at it. Chikane tilted her head slightly and watched the cute girl. _She's very shy, but unbelievably cute._

"I'm Himemiya Chikane. What's your name?" She reached out her hand for Himeko to shake. Himeko glanced shyly at the stunning woman. _I already know your name, Chikane-chan. _She winced inwardly. _Where did that come from?_

"Kurusugawa... Himeko," she said timidly and shook hands with Chikane. _So soft._ She blushed slightly at the touch and from being under the pressure of Chikane's intense sapphire gaze.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Kurusugawa-san." The blue-haired woman smiled slightly as she shook the tiny hand. _So petite, utterly adorable._

"Nice to meet you, Chikane-chan." Himeko immediately shut her mouth with an audible click, it was too late though and her blush increased immensely. _Stupid, stupid Himeko! Letting it slip!_ "I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called you t-that." She averted her gaze and dared not meet Chikane's eyes.

Chikane froze at hearing the intimate suffix. But soon the beautiful smile on her face reappeared.

"It's okay I don't mind. May... May I call you Himeko?" Chikane's words surprised herself and she hadn't originally planned to include the last words. _Who is this girl, having this kind of effect on me? I'm not the one to take the initiative to start a conversation. I can't even remember the last time I smiled genuinely in front of a total stranger. Who am I fooling? I don't think I've ever done it._

Himeko's eyes widened and she stared at Chikane for a couple of seconds in disbelief before she beamed brightly. "Of course, C-Chikane-chan!" She said in delight, her current facial expression couldn't have been any more adorable. The light pink on her cheeks augmenting her irresistible adorability.

"I'm glad, Himeko." Chikane responded, pronouncing "Himeko" with an undeniably evident loving caress she didn't even know she could muster. Therefore it startled and frightened her. Though it felt very good, _it felt right._

Himeko's slight blush deepened when she heard her name being caressed in that loving manner by the beautiful girl. _Must have been my imagination playing a trick on me._

"So... a book about the Ongaku competition? Sorry, I couldn't help but notice..." Chikane looked apologetic, having the impression she was being assertive. "... are you music interested?"

Himeko waved her hands in front of her, as if telling Chikane to dismiss such thoughts. "It's fine." She pondered on what to say next, Chikane didn't seem to recognise her as a singer. "Well... actually I'm-" Himeko was interrupted by a waiter delivering food for Chikane.

"Here's your Caesar salad." He placed it in front of Chikane and gazed at her admiringly. "I just have to say, I really admire you miss Himemiya. I'm a big fan of yours and I will cheer for you in the upcoming competition." He said excitedly with sparkling eyes. Himeko guessed he referred to the Ongaku competition. Chikane barely looked at him and faked a small smile. "Thank you very much." The waiter slightly bowed before turning to Himeko.

"Welcome, what would you like to order miss?" He asked politely, pen and note pad at the ready. Himeko frowned a bit, she hadn't really paid attention to the menu earlier. She glanced at Chikane who watched her expectantly, before looking back at the waiter with a smile.

"I'll have the same as Chikane-chan, please." The waiter raised an eyebrow, almost not noticeable. _Chikane-chan?_ _Do they know each other that well?_ "Of course, thank you." He said with a small smile, that disappeared almost as soon as it appeared.

"Hey, aren't you Kurusugawa Himeko?" He said suddenly, his eyes widening slightly at the realisation. "I love your music, and your really exceptional voice. I've also heard that you are a possible participator in the upcoming competition as well, or are they only rumours?" He asked, now very intrigued and as an afterthought he added, "Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt your capability or talent, not for one second." a bit flustered.

"Yes, I am..." Himeko said and blushed as she noticed in the corner of her eye Chikane almost gaping at her. "... and I heard that the jury from the competition will attend my performance tonight to judge if I'm qualified enough."

"This has to be one of the greatest days in my life, getting to meet both of my idols on the same day and even at the same table. I'll be right back with your salad miss Kurursugawa." The waiter said and bowed once again, before moving to a nearby table.

"So that's why." Chikane said in comprehension still staring with a dazed look at Himeko. Himeko nodded quietly, still blushing. _A singer, huh? Isn't she a tad bit to shy to sing in front of an audience? _"That means I'll be competing against you then." Chikane said with a smile. _At least I know her weakness._

"We don't know that yet. I... I haven't even been asked yet." Himeko murmured.

"Well, as the waiter said, I don't doubt your proficiency, Himeko. Not in the least, I can feel it," she replied with a face without any trace indicating the slightest lie. _Since when did I start complementing people? Not to mention that she's a total stranger too._

"T-thank you, Chikane-chan." Himeko said, smiling a bright smile. Chikane almost melted to a puddle, seeing the smile. She suddenly felt the strongest urge to leap over the table and embrace the cute girl for all she was worth. Chikane's cheeks flushed with a light pink shade. _Now that would be very unlike me._

"Caesar salad, miss Kurusugawa," said the waiter, returning with Himeko's salad. She smiled at him, receiving the salad. "Thank you, it looks delicious!" She said, looking at the salad with an adorable face. The waiter smiled, _cute. _"Well, enjoy your meal." He maid a small bow and caught a glimpse of Chikane in the corner of his eye. She was gazing at Himeko's face, seemingly oblivious to the rest of the world. _What a loving look in her eyes, it reminds me of my girlfriend when she's looking at me. Strange._ He thought and left the to girls in privacy.

Himeko being too occupied with her salad, was completely unaware of Chikane's longingly gaze.

"Itadakimasu! Wow, this IS delicious! Why don't you try yours too, Chikane-chan?" Himeko said encouragingly. Chikane was brought out of her trance and immediately straightened her composure.

"Y-yeah. It looks good. Itadakimasu." Chikane stuttered, taking a small bite. Chikane stuttering was as usual as seeing flying cows. It never occurred. Ever. Being born into the Himemiya family, means attending to a lot of elegant parties, even at a very young age. And having spent her whole life entertaining and mingling at parties, Chikane had mastered the art of maintaining her level-headedness at all times, which was required of her being a Himemiya. Now though, her seemingly perfect façade cracked in front of Himeko and that crack seemed to get bigger each time she glanced at the cute girl.

"So, how is it?" Himeko asked cutely.

"You're right Himeko, it's delicious." It was definitely not the tastiest salad Chikane had tasted, naturally. Being a Himemiya she had tasted the most palatable dishes cooked by some of the finest cooks in the world. But still, somehow, in the company of a certain golden-haired loveliness, it tasted somewhat better. Even the rest of the café seemed rather dull, compared to the pleasant brightness the girl opposite her was radiating through her charm and smiles.

Himeko seemed delighted by the reply and smiled at her companion before she continued eating. Chikane tried to focus on her salad, but much to her dismay she caught herself glancing at Himeko a couple of times too many.

Soon enough Himeko had finished her salad and sighed contentedly. She glanced at her regal companion, who had finished her salad too. Himeko picked up her phone, it was already 2:00 pm and she had to talk to her manager before her big performance tonight. She was actually getting more nervous each minute now as she knew there would be a jury, from one of the most significant music competitions in Japan, watching her. She looked around trying to get a waiter's attention, but they were all busy. Chikane who was watching her noticed that she looked kind of distressed. _Is she in a hurry?_ She thought for a moment before she got an idea.

"Are you in a hurry, Himeko?" She asked, drawing the attention of rare amethyst eyes.

"Uh, yes, you could say that." Himeko replied.

"I'll pay for this, you're in a hurry right?"

"What...? But... but you hardly know me!" Himeko's eyes widened. "I couldn't possibly-"

"Don't worry about it, it's no problem really." Chikane interrupted acutely. "You can pay me back another time." She smiled inwardly. _You see, I want to see you again._

"R-really? Himeko sounded unsure.

"Yes, it's perfectly fine." Chikane said with a smile. Himeko beamed with joy and acted on impulse. She rose and embraced Chikane tightly. "Thank you, Chikane-chan!" Himeko cried happily. Chikane was taken aback by the sudden contact, but soon she wrapped her arms around the warm body pressed against her. She closed her eyes and relished in the warmth provided by the petite body. She enjoyed the soft texture of Himeko's glossy golden hair that smelled like summer and the small hands and arms that snaked around her neck. _It's like hugging the sun._ But all too soon the warmth faded and she opened her sapphire eyes. She found herself staring at the most adorable girl she'd ever seen. She was like an adorable puppy, innocent and lovable, one you would want to protect and keep safe from all dangers. She was like the sun, spreading light, warmth and joy wherever she went, though unbeknownst to her, she could burn you if you got too close.

Chikane felt herself being drawn into big, warm and beautiful amethyst eyes, bordered by long appealing eyelashes. Her cheeks always adorned with a pleasant blush, her red voluptuous, somewhat pouty lips, enticing her. Chikane unconsciously wet her lips. _I bet those taste better than any dish I've ever tasted. _Chikane blinked surprised, mentally scolding herself for such unladylike thoughts. _Now where did that come from? Why would I want to taste them in the first place?_

Himeko sensed her body temperature rise at her sudden action. _I shouldn't have bounced on her like that. Stupid, Himeko she's Himemiya Chikane for crying out loud. _Chikane was currently staring at her lips and Himeko thought she had some food stuck on them and therefore licked them while bowing her head in an apologetic way.

"I-I'm sorry, Chikane-chan! I shouldn't have invaded your p-personal space like that," she said, blushing all the more while doing so. Chikane looked at her in distress.

"Himeko, please raise your head. It's fine, I hugged you back, didn't I? Chikane replied with a smile. Himeko raised her head and nodded slightly. "Shouldn't you be on your way, Himeko?" Chikane raised an eyebrow in amusement, seeing Himeko's cute face turn into one of panic.

"Oh, I forgot! Once again, thank you so much Chikane-chan. It was nice meeting you." Himeko smiled, appreciating Chikane's thoughtfulness before turning around. Then she remembered she had to pay Chikane back in some way. _But how will I contact her?_ She felt someone slip a piece of paper in her hand and turned around. It was Chikane.

"It's nothing, Himeko. There's my number, if you ever find a way of repaying me," she said, smiling. _Or if you just want to talk or associate, I'd love to._ That, she didn't dare to say.

Himeko smiled brightly. "You bet I will!" She said, determinately and inclined her head before turning around again, walking out.

* * *

Chikane still had a small smile decorating her face when she walked out of the café. _Himeko, what an intriguing girl. _Chikane walked leisurely without a destination or appointment, unlike the rest of the city's inhabitants. Living in Tokyo is a special lifestyle. It's a city with an extremely high tempo, day as night, always full of life, people rushing to work, school, appointments, dates or home, immersed in conversations in their cell phones, barely minding their steps. There were always cars honking, people shouting, all because of the many cars and people colliding in a never-ending cycle, called traffic. It's not that surprising though, since it's a really crowded and busy city.

Right now Chikane was oblivious to the rest of the city, too engrossed in her thoughts, involving a certain newfound friend. _A cute one at that._ Her conscious seemed to add, teasingly. She sighed inwardly and looked ahead of her, now minding what was going on around her. Straight ahead of her was a group of teenagers, about her age, engaged in a seemingly animated discussion. Chikane slowed down as she approached them, trying to catch what they said, now a bit interested.

"I'm so excited! It's going to be outstanding and I've been waiting for this for so long," said a tall, slim girl with long, flowing, bright green hair and big golden eyes.

"It's all thanks to Ren-kun for getting the tickets!" A girl with short red hair and brown eyes said, giving the boy to her immediate right a peck on the cheek, while locking arms with him. They were evidently boyfriend and girlfriend. "Ren-kun" a boy with short, spiky jet-black hair and black eyes, smiled at her and turned to his right.

"Yeah, well... it's also thanks to Kyou," he said, referring to the boy to his right. Ren didn't get any reply though as "Kyou" had come to an abrupt halt staring directly at Chikane. The three other teenagers noticed him staring and followed his gaze and all four ended up looking at Chikane.

"Himemiya...? Himemiya Chikane?" Kyou asked, a tall, slender boy with curly brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. He was quiet attractive and would probably make most girls swoon with a single glance, not Chikane though, instead she put on her usual icy façade.

"Yes, may I ask who you might be? It's quite rude of you not to say your name," she answered coldly.

"Oh, yeah... sorry. Tsukahara Kyousuke from Kyoto, remember?" He asked smiling slightly. Chikane looked at him for a moment before recognising him.

"Ah, Tsukahara-kun. How unexpectedly, meeting you here. It's been... ten years?" Chikane watched him, still with her façade. Tsukahara Kyousuke was one of her very few childhood friends, but actually she didn't like him. He used to have a crush on her, but she rejected him.

"Yeah, ten years... How have you been? Well, I suppose."

"Yes, I've been fine thank you, I've adapted quite well to the lifestyle here in Tokyo." Chikane replied, not bothering to ask him the same question.

"I see... that's what to be expected of Himemiya Chikane." Kyousuke said jokingly. "Ah, I totally forgot, these are some of my friends." He motioned towards the three teenagers. "The girl with short hair is Ichihara Hitomi."

"Hey!" Hitomi said and waved.

"Hi." Chikane replied.

"She's Aizawa Ren's girlfriend," he said motioning towards the tall boy with black hair.

"Yo!" Ren said, while raising a hand, smiling a toothy grin. Chikane simply acknowledged him with a nod of her head.

"And last but definitely not least, Minobe Shizuka." Kyousuke said, referring to the tall girl with the long green hair.

"Nice to meet you, Himemiya Chikane-sama," she said with a small smile, reaching out her hand to shake Chikane's.

"It's nice meeting you too." Chikane replied while shaking her hand. Kyousuke now positioned himself next to Chikane, turning to his friends.

"This is Himemiya Chikane, one of my childhood friends from Kyoto," he said, turning towards Chikane. She bowed slightly, as did the rest.

"Okay, now that the introductions have been made, why don't you join us Himemiya-san? Or are you busy?" Kyousuke asked. Chikane pondered on what to do. _I hardly know him, it's been ten years after all. And I don't like the way he's looking at me and I don't feel like being social._ She overheard a small conversation between Hitomi and Shizuka, which caught her attention though.

"I definitely look forward to Kurusugawa Himeko's show tonight!" Hitomi said, squealing in delight.

"Yeah..." Shizuka said with an almost dreamy look on her face, as a small blush appeared on her cheeks.

However, the name "Kurusugawa Himeko" immediately caught Chikane's interest.

"Are you going to the show tonight?" She asked with a gleam in her eyes. All four pair of eyes looked at her.

"Yes, we are actually here in Tokyo mainly to see Kurusugawa Himeko's performance, we've come from Kyoto." Shizuka replied.

"I see." Chikane murmured, deep in thought. _Actually I'd like to see her again, why not tonight?_

"So, do you want to come? But we need to get you a ticket, though I think they're probably sold out, ours was really hard to get." Kyouske said with a frown.

"Yes, I'll see what I can do." Chikane replied picking up her phone. She had a lot of connections that could probably help her get a ticket. She was prepared to pay the price, whatever it may be. _I wonder what Himeko is doing.__

* * *

_

Himeko exited the large building, sighing deeply. She had visited her manager to talk about her performance tonight. He had confirmed that the jury from the Ongaku competition would indeed be present at her performance and she had been told that it was going to be crowded. Really crowded.

Her manager had told her that all the tickets had been sold out, save for three tickets, which Himeko had received to give away if she wished. She was going to perform at the Daikanyama arena, which had a capacity of holding about 5,000 people, meaning that the very same amount of people would be watching her. A fact that together with the fact that the Ongaku jury would judge her, made her sweat a bit.

Himeko sighed, looking at the three tickets in her hand. She pouted slightly, as she didn't know what she would do with her third ticket. _Surely I'll give one to Mako-chan and one to Oogami-kun, but the third?_ She pondered about if she knew of someone who would enjoy coming to her show.

Despite being so popular, she kept only a few close friends, she didn't tend to trust people that easily. Actually, her only close friends were Makoto and Souma. _But wait! Maybe... just maybe I could ask Chikane-chan? As a repay for her being so nice to me earlier._ She reached into her pocket, bringing out the little piece of paper in the daylight. Himeko was holding it like it was the most precious and fragile butterfly. With shaky fingers she pressed the buttons on her cell phone. _0-9-0-7-5..._

_

* * *

_

Chikane sighed in defeat. She had called five calls already, without any success.

"Well?" Kyousuke asked hopefully. Chikane simply shook her head. "Damn, maybe-" He was interrupted by the sound of a buzzing cell phone, Chikane's. She looked at it. Chikane didn't recognise the number and answered with a frown.

"Hello?" She said with her usual cold voice.

"C-Chikane-chan?" Came the familiar uncertain, yet cheerful voice. Chikane felt her cold demeanour crack, replaced by a beautiful smile. It didn't go unnoticed by Kyousuke. _I've never seen her smile like that, she's so beautiful. But who might she be talking to?_

"Hi, Himeko," she said, no longer any trace of iciness in her voice, only warmth and loving caress, especially when she said "Himeko". Kyousuke raised his eyebrows. _Himeko?_

Himeko let out a small sigh of relief, she hadn't recognised the voice and was close to hanging up. "Hi, how are you, Chikane-chan?"

"Better, now that you're calling." Himeko blushed slightly and felt a rather odd warmth welling up inside, but she welcomed it.

"I... I was just calling to ask you, if... if you, maybe, you don't have to, but I... you... could-"

"Yes, Himeko?" Chikane said encouraging her. Himeko took a deep breath.

"IhaveatickettomyconcerttonightandifyouwanttoIwillgiveittoyouasarepayforearlier." Himeko said really fast, in that one breath, now blushing.

"What? I didn't catch that, Himeko." Chikane said a bit amused at Himeko's cute behaviour. Himeko calmed herself.

"I said, that if you want, I... I have a ticket to my concert tonight and if y-you want to, I will give it to you as a repay for e-earlier." Himeko blushed harder. _She will never accept it, she would never want to go to my concert._

"I'd absolutely love to, Himeko." Chikane said, delighted by the thought of going to Himeko's concert. _But mostly to see her._

Holding her breath in wonder, Himeko blinked a few times, not quite comprehending what Chikane just said. _She just said yes?_ "Y-you would?" Himeko asked, still taken aback.

"Yes, I'd be honoured to." Chikane replied.

"Okay, then I'll have to give it to you, right?" Himeko smiled at the thought of seeing Chikane again, although it hadn't been more than two hours since they ate lunch.

Chikane looked at her companions. It would be quite a problem if she said that she was going to meet Himeko, their very idol, or worse, that Himeko would come and meet them all in person. She would have to get rid of her company and meet up with Himeko in some way.

"Yes, somehow. Where are you now, Himeko?"

"Uhm, right now I'm outside Tocho," she said. Tocho also known as Tokyo City Hall, or Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is one of the tallest buildings in Tokyo.

"Okay, could you stay right there? I'm not that far away." Chikane said, hoping she could somehow manage to shake of her company along the way.

"Sure, Chikane-chan. I'll see you soon then!" Himeko chirped happily.

"Yes, see you." Chikane hung up and immediately Ren, Shizuka and Hitomi started asking her all kinds of questions at once.

"Did you get any ticket? Will you go and get the ticket? We'll go with you!" They were quite clueless as it didn't cross their minds that the person Chikane talked to was named "Himeko"

"Who was that right now, Himemiya-san?" Kyousuke asked, although he had his suspicions. _She talked to a girl named Himeko, there's a high possibility that it would be Kurusugawa Himeko, seeing as she's a Himemiya. God knows all the contacts she got._

"Yes, I did manage to get a ticket and I will pick it up," she said, emphasizing the word "I", as to say that she will go alone. Chikane evaded the last question though and had no intention of answering, she simply pretended that she didn't hear it. "I'll most likely see you at the concert later then, I suppose? It was nice meeting you all," she said in politeness and giving them one of her usual artificial smiles.

"Well, can't we tag along, if you don't mind that is?" Kyousuke asked.

Chikane grimaced slightly before turning around and feigning a smile. "Well, I suppose so, but I don't think you would find it very interesting though," she said, her courtesy not allowing her to deny him and telling him to leave her alone, although she would want to.

"I certainly would and you being the only one finding your way around in this city, you could maybe show us around a bit? I've only been here twice and both times only for a couple of days, so that wouldn't be of any use. Only if you want to, of course." Kyousuke said with a smile.

It could've been Chikane's imagination deciding to play a trick on her, but she thought she spotted some kind of mischievous gleam in Kyousuke's eyes, as if they were saying _you're not getting rid of me._ She also suspected that he knew her politeness didn't allow her to say no and that he used it against her. If that's what he thought, he was right. "Of course, if that's what you want." She said, barely concealing her annoyance.

"I think that's a good idea, what do you think Ren-kun?" Hitomi agreed, looking at her boyfriend.

"Ah, that would be great." He nodded substantially.

"That's a very good idea indeed and it would be very nice of you, Himemiya-sama." Shizuka concurred. They were all in an agreement, much to Chikane's dismay.

"Okay, follow me then," she said coldly, not liking where this were going. _I'm sorry for this Himeko.

* * *

_

Himeko was humming silently to herself, while waiting for Chikane to arrive. She was quite giddy, now that she would get to meet Chikane again, as well that she was going to see her show later. It all made Himeko's cheeks warm up a bit. She had waited for merely ten minutes when she turned around, just in time to spot Chikane. Himeko lit up in a bright smile, which faded the instant she noticed that Chikane had brought company. To her right treaded a tall boy with spiky, short black hair, hands intertwined with a shorter girl, with short red hair. To Chikane's right there was a tall boy with curly hair, who was quite handsome. Himeko also noticed something bright green bobbing behind the boy with curly hair, but couldn't really make out if it was a boy or girl. The boy with black hair looked astonished, while the girl next to him look very wound up. The boy with curly hair simply looked at her with a straight face and Chikane wouldn't meet her gaze for some reason.

"Oh my god! Ren-kun, it's Kurusugawa Himeko!" The red-haired girl cried in excitement.

"Yeah, maybe we could get her autograph if we ask politely!" The boy with black hair, who apparently was called "Ren-kun" said.

Himeko didn't know what to think, so she gazed at Chikane.

"Hi, Chikane-chan," she said timidly, not yet accustomed to Chikane's presence. Chikane finally met her gaze and Himeko thought she spotted a quick apologetic look, before Chikane smiled at her.

"Hello, Himeko."

Kyousuke couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. _"Chikane-chan"? Exactly how close are they?_

"Huh, do you know Kurusugawa Himeko, Himemiya-san?" Hitomi asked, clearly impressed, still not realising it was the same Himeko as Chikane was talking to in her cell phone, but simply believing it was a coincidence, meeting Himeko here. Ren looked at Chikane, also very amazed.

"I've met her on one occasion, yes." Chikane said, not wanting to go into detail. At this Kyousuke raised his other eyebrow as well. _One occasion? That can't be true. There's no way they could be this familiar with each other after meeting only once._ He felt kind of jealous of Himeko for being so close to Chikane.

"Here's your ticket, Chikane." Himeko said, holding out the ticket hesitantly.

"Thank you, Himeko." Chikane replied with a smile. She accepted it with great appreciation and held it safely. It was so very dear to her. Her body seemed to want to tug her towards Himeko and embrace her tightly, but with everybody standing around, she refrained from doing so. Would it have been just her and Himeko, she would probably already have pulled Himeko into a tight hug.

Himeko blushed slightly, fidgeting with her fingers at Chikane's whole-hearted gratitude. Suddenly she saw the person with the bright green hair, come into sight. It was a tall, slim and very attractive girl. Most people, men and women, would stop to look twice, were they to see her on the streets. She had very rare golden eyes, that seemed to glow with some kind of unknown force, that made you drown from just looking into them and leave your throat dry after. Right now golden eyes gazed intently straight into Himeko's lilac ones. Then she did something that made everyone gasp and widen their eyes in disbelief.

With confident strides she approached Himeko before embracing the shorter girl with her arms snaking around Himeko's waist. Ren and Hitomi gaped at their friend in incredulity and Kyousuke was smirking when the initial shock was over. Chikane however felt an indescribable hatred towards Shizuka and she felt jealous. A feeling she had yet to experience. Now that she knew how it felt, she didn't welcome it. Not at all.

Himeko went stiff with eyes as big as tea saucers, blushing like there was no tomorrow. After what seemed like forever the beautiful girl, now with a light pink adorning her cheeks, released Himeko and stepped back a few steps.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me," she said, not daring to look Himeko in the eyes. "I just admire you so much."

Himeko was taken aback, as this hadn't happened to her ever before. Himeko didn't really know how to react. "I-It's okay and t-thank you I... I guess," she stammered nervously, fidgeting with her fingers. Chikane wanted to talk to Himeko in private and stepped forward, past Shizuka.

"Himeko, may I talk to you?"

"Y-yes, of course, Chikane-chan, what is it?" Himeko wondered, still a bit embarrassed.

"Let's walk for a bit," she said, walking away from the rest of the group, motioning for Himeko to follow her. Himeko follow silently. Once they were out of sight and earshot, Chikane turned around, facing Himeko. "When is your performance starting?"

"Uhm, 09:00 pm, at the Daikanyama arena," she said, wondering where this would lead to.

Chikane steeled herself and asked what was on her mind. "I just wanted to ask if you would like to have dinner with me. Before the performance."

Himeko was surprised by the offer and felt like squealing in joy. "Yes, I'd love to, Chikane-chan!" She responded almost immediately, maybe a bit too eagerly. "I have to go home first, though, when do you want to go out?"

Chikane smiled brightly and chuckled softly at Himeko's enthusiasm. _She's just too cute for her own good._ "I will call you later, Himeko." She could barely wait.

"Okay." Himeko smiled cutely at Chikane, which once again made the latter feel an urge to embrace to former tightly.

"I will tell the others that you had an important appointment you had to attend to." Chikane said and winked at Himeko. Himeko blushed slightly, but went pale when she remembered the green-haired girl.

"Chikane-chan... who are they?"

"Oh, well… the boy with curly hair is Tsukuhara Kyousuke, a childhood friend of mine. The other three are his friends, the other boy's name is Aizawa Ren and the girl he was holding hands with is his girlfriend, Ichihara Hitomi. And… the girl who hugged you…" Chikane felt her anger building again. "… is Minobe Shizuka."

Himeko blushed deeply. "M-Minobe Shizuka, huh?" That hug had really startled Himeko and she felt uneasy and embarrassed, just thinking about it.

Chikane felt another pang of jealousy. _Is Himeko interested in her? I will not allow her to touch my Himeko like that. My…? What am I thinking?_ Chikane inhaled and sighed slightly. "Okay, but I'll call you later and thank's again for the ticket," she smiled and waved, before turning to walk back to the others. It had required most of her willpower, not to hug the adorable golden-haired girl. She wanted to feel the soothing warmth again, the soothing warmth of… _an angel, _she concluded in her mind.

"No problem, Chikane-chan, see you later." Himeko smiled and waved back. _I'm so excited.

* * *

_

"What happened Himemiya-san?" Kyousuke asked when Chikane returned. Ren and Hitomi had been asking Shizuka about the hug, but the girl had kept her mouth shut, not feeling obliged to tell them.

"I wanted to thank Himeko for the ticket, that's all." Chikane said coldly.

"Where is Kurusugawa-san?" Hitomi asked, turning her head, looking for Himeko.

"She had an important meeting and now if you'll excuse me I have an important appointment as well. It was lovely seeing you again, Tsukuhara-kun, as well as meeting you three." Chikane bowed ever so slightly and couldn't help but glance at Shizuka, who seemed to be in deep thought, as if fighting an inner battle. _I will not let you touch Himeko again, ever._

"Nice meeting you, Himemiya-sama." Hitomi said and bowed, as well as Ren.

"See you at the concert Himemiya-san." Kyousuke said, smiling at her._ I will definitely see you._

When Chikane had left, Shizuka tugged at Kyousuke, pulling him into an alley for a moment.

"What are you doing Shizuka?" Kyousuke shouted, trying to regain his balance after the sudden action.

"Shh… be quiet, will you?" Shizuka said a bit irritated. She frowned, deep in thought, before turning her intense golden gaze, looking straight into Kyousuke's eyes. She looked very determined. "Can you keep a secret? I don't want the others to know," she said in a frightening voice. Kyousuke gulped loudly and sweated a bit. _I didn't know Shizuka could be this frightening._

"Y-yes, of course."

"I have a confession to make, it's about Kurusugawa Himeko."

* * *

NOTE: Okay, so tell me what you thought, please. How did I do and is there anything that needs improvement? And I'm sorry for possible mistakes. I'll try to update the next chapter soon. Until then, have a nice day!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hey, guys! Gaou, I'm really, really sorry for the nauseatingly late update! I'm a lazy slacker, I know, call me whatever you want, I deserve whipping (Anyone up for that by the way?). Oh and I've changed the rating from M to T, for now, I might change it back later. And also, thanks a lot to you readers and reviewers, you're great. Anyway… here is the long awaited third chapter and I hope that you'll enjoy it nevertheless, as I've tried to put down my heart and soul into this.

Warning: This fanfiction is based on a romantic relationship between two girls. Now that you have been warned, please do not read this if you feel offended by it. I may be a bit too late to inform you, but better late than never.

Chapter 3

* * *

Himeko was humming as usual, only a bit more cheerfully, actually way more. She was beaming and smiling brightly and found it hard to stop. At the moment she was pondering on what clothes she should wear to the dinner. _I wonder where Chikane-chan will take me. Probably some exquisite restaurant, maybe I should wear a dress?_ Himeko's pondering was interrupted by the phone ringing. _Maybe it's Chikane-chan!_ Himeko ran to the phone, bumping into a nearby chair with her foot in the process. She winced in pain, but answered eagerly nevertheless, nearly shouting.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Himeko! You sound excited, expected a call from a cute boy?" Makoto inquired teasingly. Himeko had almost expected it to be Chikane and the fact that it was Makoto who called made her somewhat disappointed, even though she was her best friend.

"Hi, Mako-chan. N-no, I was not!" Himeko denied and blushed. _Actually, your guess was quite close. For once._

"Oh, so you're all excited now that I called you? You missed me? I'm so glad Himeko!" Makoto teased.

Himeko sighed inwardly and sat on her couch and massaged her, now sore, foot from the bump earlier. "Why are you calling, Mako-chan?" She asked, choosing to ignore Makoto's teasing.

"Well, I do have some missed calls from you from earlier today," she remarked, "so what's up?"

"Uh..." Himeko thought for a moment, trying to remember why she had called. "Oh, yeah! I went to the new café you told me about and I was going to ask you to come with me," she finally recalled.

"Ah, how was it? Cute waiters, right?" Makoto grinned.

Himeko sighed exasperatedly. _There's no stopping Mako-chan when she's at it._ "Yes, yes, very cute," she responded half-heartedly. "But the food was good and the atmosphere was really nice!" Himeko added in her usual cheerful voice.

"So, did you go alone after all?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah, you didn't answer and Oogami-kun was busy, but…" Himeko stopped abruptly, blushing slightly.

"But…?" Makoto encouraged her.

"You won't believe it, but… when I entered the café it was pretty crowded and all the tables were occupied, except for one, where only one person sat." Himeko paused, inhaling slightly. "So, I went over to that table to ask if I could sit there and the person lowered the newspaper, and guess who it was," she urged.

"A really cute guy?" Came the very Makoto-like supposition.

"No… it was none other than Himemiya Chikane!" Himeko exclaimed.

"No way!" Makoto commented in utmost disbelief.

"Yes! It's true and she didn't mind me calling her Chikane-chan when I accidentally let it slip." Himeko continued in the same state of excitement.

"Chikane-chan? It took you almost two years before you started calling me Mako-chan!" Makoto stated, sounding incredulous. "Why this girl?" She asked, feigning jealousy.

"I don't know… I feel at ease when I'm with her, like I can say anything to her." Himeko said, not knowing exactly how to explain how she felt. _Like I've known her all my life._

"Well, that's great, Himeko. I'm happy for you." Makoto was glad Himeko had made a new friend, but was still a bit bemused since Himeko usually doesn't trust people that fast. _That Himemiya girl must be really special._

"Thanks Mako-chan. Oh, yeah, I invited her to my concert tonight and guess what!" She urged again, excited as ever.

"To your concert? What about it?" Makoto wondered, now curious.

"She accepted the ticket with much gratitude and then she asked me out to dinner, tonight, before the concert!" Himeko said in high spirits. "Can you believe that? Himemiya Chikane inviting me to dinner," she continued joyously.

Makoto raised an eyebrow, she was now very suspicious of this Himemiya. _Did she ask Himeko out to dinner, after meeting for the very first time today? She has to have some ulterior motive, but Himeko being innocent as she is doesn't sense any kind of danger. Is she a stalker after all, in spite of being a Himemiya?_ "Wow, that's… I don't know what to say." Makoto tried not to sound suspicious, but rather surprised. _I have to keep an eye on Himemiya, I'll have to tell Souma as well._

"Are you not happy for me?" Himeko pouted, sounding dejected.

"Of course! I'm just surprised… yeah, that's all!" Makoto said, covering up with a chuckle. "But Himeko, try to be careful, after all, you met for the first time just today," she warned in a serious tone.

"Don't worry Mako-chan, I'll be fine." Himeko responded in her usual cheery voice, once again excited about the dinner.

"Well, I'm happy for you Himeko and I guess I'll see you at the concert tonight," she said. "And… good luck with the dinner," Makoto added teasingly. _But above all, be careful and have fun._

"Thank you, Mako-chan. I'll meet up with you and hand you the tickets later, okay? See you." Himeko said, blushing slightly at Makoto's comment.

"Alright, see ya!" Makoto responded and they both hung up. _So that's who Himeko was expecting a call from,_ Makoto thought, smirking to herself.

* * *

"Kurusugawa Himeko? What about her?" Kyousuke sounded confused. Shizuka closed her eyes and swallowed hard, she felt her heart rate increase and she felt her hands sweat. Then she opened her eyes and stared straight into Kyousuke's blue ones.

"I love her." Shizuka said simply. Kyousuke blinked a few times before he broke into laughter.

"That's not much of a secret, Shizuka. Don't we all love her? I mean, that's why we're-"

"You don't understand." Shizuka interrupted him, irritation showing on her face. "I'm in love with her and I love her more than anyone else, I'm obsessed with her," she said and blushed a light pink at the bold confession.

Kyousuke stopped laughing and started choking instead. "W-What?!" He gaped at her in disbelief. _Shizuka? In love with Himeko?_ _No way!_ "Why are you telling me this?" He asked after he had calmed down a bit, he was still shocked though. Shizuka showing this side of her was a first for Kyousuke. He had known her since they were 11, they were both 19 now and through all the years he had known her, he hadn't seen her romantically involved with anybody, not once. It's not that she couldn't find a partner, she was gorgeous enough to make any man or woman get down on their knees if she asked them to, simply she didn't find any meaning in finding one. Until now that is. In that respect she resembled Himemiya Chikane.

"I've been obsessed with her since the first time I saw her on TV and that was two years ago. So I've kept it a secret for two years now, a secret I intended to keep until the day I die. But when I met her on the street and held her in my arms, something inside me changed." Shizuka smiled fondly at the reminiscence. "She was no longer the unobtainable angel I've always pictured her as. I had her within my reach, if only for a brief moment, and so I needed to lift this off my chest. I hope you don't think poorly of me now that you know," she finished, leaving Kyousuke stunned, astonishment evident in his clear blue eyes. He couldn't help but feel sorry for Shizuka, as he knew what unrequited love feels like. _Himemiya Chikane._ He grimaced slightly. _I want to help Shizuka, but how…? Wait, maybe there is a way, for both of us._

"Maybe we could use Himemiya to get close to Kurusugawa and then we separate them, you will take Kurusugawa and I will take Himemiya," he schemed, smirking mischievously.

Shizuka eyed him for a moment, thinking about the proposal. _In order to get close to Himeko we stay close to Himemiya Chikane and to get rid of her Kyousuke will distract her and I can have my time with my angel._ Shizuka felt excited, it was the perfect plan. "That could work indeed," she agreed.

"We'll have our chance tonight at the concert, we find Himemiya-san and then we wait." Kyousuke smiled, satisfied with the plan. Their main interest was not the concert anymore, but instead to obtain the hearts of their respective love interests.

Shizuka couldn't wait for the night to arrive, barely able to contain her impatience and excitement, she smiled brightly. _Tonight will mark the end of two years of suffering.

* * *

_

Chikane stepped out of the shower, drying her hair thoroughly with a towel. She lived alone in a luxury apartment in Park Court Toranomon Atago Tower located in Minato, Tokyo. Her apartment was huge, about 130 square metres and had three bedrooms and a balcony. It was located on the 29th floor, the second highest floor, meaning the view was absolutely stunning. The apartment was very elegant with marble stone, floors as well as some walls, heated floor throughout and expensive, exquisite furniture. You could say it was an apartment fit for a Himemiya.

Chikane exited her master bathroom, which had marble walls, a shower and Jacuzzi, and entered her dressing room, which was located immediately outside.

She entered her closet to pick out clothes for the dinner. Chikane decided on a flirty, yet elegant, black halter dress, that hugged her figure nicely and a pair of black high heels. She couldn't decide whether to wear a headband or not, pondering if it would appear childish. After a bit of thinking she finally decided to sport a white one. Satisfied, she walked out, into the biggest room in the apartment, the living-dining room. It was a spacious and bright room, with big windows, surrounding the people in it with the most breath-taking view.

The time was now 5:30 pm and Chikane walked over to the table where she kept her phone. _Time to call Himeko._ She smiled affectionately just thinking about it.

Himeko still hadn't decided on what to wear when the phone rang loudly again. _This time it's maybe Chikane-chan._ Himeko knew better this time and walked carefully to the phone avoiding all objects on the way. Once she reached the phone she was getting somewhat nervous, with shaky fingers and a trembling voice she answered.

"H-hello?"

"Hi, it's Chikane," said the melodious voice and Himeko relished in it.

"Hi, Chikane-chan." Himeko said cutely, which made Chikane smile slightly.

"Are you ready for the dinner?" Chikane asked.

"Uhm..." Himeko glanced at herself, at the moment she was only wearing her lingerie and she blushed in embarrassment. "I-I'm definitely excited," she said, avoiding the question.

Chikane chuckled slightly as she suspected that Himeko in fact wasn't entirely ready. "Yes, me too." Chikane smiled, she really was. "My father, Himemiya Junichi, opened a restaurant here in Tokyo a couple of years ago, although he usually lives in Kyoto. So I'd like to take you there, if you don't mind," she continued.

"N-no, of course not! I'd love to, Chikane-chan!" Himeko said, convincingly.

"Then I'm glad." Chikane said in relief. Actually, she had been a bit nervous about if Himeko would approve of her choice of restaurant, especially since it was her father's restaurant, and that was all that mattered. To satisfy Himeko. "I'm thinking of picking you up in about thirty minutes and then we can go to the restaurant together, if that suits you," she announced.

"Yes, you can come any time, Chikane-chan," she said, blushing a bit when she realised that it sounded differently than in her head. Chikane didn't seem to notice though, but she did smile.

"Great, but I need to know where you live." Chikane said matter-of-factly.

"O-of course." Himeko's blush increased in embarrassment and she felt an urge to hit herself on her head at her silliness. "Do you have pen and paper?" She asked.

"At the ready." Chikane responded.

"Okay, my address is, 3-19-37-B2F Roppongi, Minato-ku," she said, hoping Chikane got it all right.

"Oh, that's not far away from my place actually. I live in Park Court Toranomon Atago Tower." Chikane said, somewhat happily.

"Wow, in those luxury apartments? Do you live alone?" Himeko inquired, now intrigued. Even though she herself lived in a quite big and modern house, she was clearly impressed. _As expected of Chikane-chan._

"Yes, I do, but I don't mind. I like the tranquillity," she admitted.

Himeko felt rather relieved at the fact that Chikane lived alone and the feeling puzzled her. "I know what you mean, but sometimes I get lonely, especially when there's thunder, I hate thunder, then I usually call Mako-chan and force her to come over," she said, chuckling slightly, knowing that Makoto didn't fancy being obliged to go over to Himeko when ever there was thunder and it always made her grumpy.

"Mako-chan?" Chikane said, puzzled. _Who is this "Mako-chan"?_

"Oh, sorry. She's a childhood friend of mine and also happens to be my best friend. She's coming to the concert tonight, then I'll make sure that you meet her. I'm sure you will like her!" Himeko responded.

"I see," she answered, feeling kind of jealous. _Best friend, huh?_ She shook her head at her foolishness, why was she jealous anyway? She looked at her watch, it was already 5:42 pm.

"Well, I think I better get going now, Himeko," she said.

"Okay, did you get the address right?" She asked, making sure. Chikane repeated the address correctly. "Yup, that's it."

"I'll see you soon then, Himeko." Chikane said, smiling at the thought of getting to meet Himeko again.

"Yes, see you soon, Chikane-chan," she responded and then they both hung up. Himeko sat down on her sofa, with a dreamy look plastered on her face, smiling brightly. Then she jumped up as realisation hit her. _Aaah, what to do? What to do?! I still have no clothes on!_ She rushed into her bedroom and began digging in her closet, clothes being tossed all over the place.

* * *

Chikane had inspected the house quickly before making her way to the front door and her first impression was, _Not bad. Not bad at all._

Now she stood, facing the front door, suddenly feeling a little tense. She knocked on the door and waited patiently, carefully listening for any sound that might come from inside. When she heard footsteps behind the door, she immediately composed herself. She stood still and her heart was suddenly pounding in her chest. When the door opened she took a moment to take in the sight before her, she stared and could hardly breathe.

Before her stood Himeko dressed in a red, strapless satin dress, suiting her perfectly with a pair of white high-heeled sandals and a red bow in her hair. To top it all off, she had a crimson blush adorning her cheeks and a small smile plastered on her face, making her look utterly adorable.

Chikane could only stare and didn't know what to say.

"Hi, Chikane-chan." Himeko's blush increased as she felt uneasy under Chikane's intense gaze, making her feel that something was wrong with her clothes or something else. "W-what's wrong?"

"N-nothing, it's just… you look great, Himeko." Chikane snapped back to reality, averting her gaze and blushing slightly for staring so rudely. _She looks absolutely adorable. She probably has a boyfriend and he must be very possessive of her._

"T-thanks, you look great too, Chikane-chan," she answered cutely. _She's really beautiful. I wonder if she got a boyfriend. Probably._

"Thank you, Himeko." Chikane said, and held out her arm for Himeko to lace her arm with it. "Well, shall we?" She asked playfully with a smile.

After locking the door Himeko grabbed Chikane's arm with pleasure. "Absolutely." Himeko answered, beaming towards Chikane, making the latter feel a little too hot all of a sudden.

* * *

Himeko gasped and covered her mouth in astonishment at the sight before her. They had entered the restaurant and to describe the interiors with words such as, incredible or amazing, would put it to shame. The first thing you would notice was the great high walls covered with warm, pleasant claret velvet, throughout the establishment, embellishing them and the high mirrors in various places. Then the ceiling, which was consisting of toned glass in all imaginable colors, making the place look ever so inviting. There were also several enormous, expensive-looking crystal chandeliers hanging proudly from the ceiling, contributing to a cozy, romantic atmosphere with a slightly subdued illumination. Himeko couldn't find any words and was simply awe-struck. Chikane had been here on numerous occasions and thus wasn't taken aback by the exquisite decor, although still very impressed. She now glanced at her companion in amusement.

They were greeted by a respectable-looking man in his thirties, dressed in an expensive-looking suit, he was probably the manager of the restaurant.

"Good evening and welcome, ladies," he greeted them with a smile and a deep bow.

"Good evening, we have a reservation under the name of Himemiya." Chikane answered, with a small smile and a slight incline of her head. Himeko simply bowed to him.

"Yes, of course, miss Himemiya," he said in recognition. She was the daughter of Himemiya Junichi after all and she was stunningly beautiful, a face you wouldn't forget easily once you'd laid your eyes on it. "Follow me please, ladies," he said gesturing towards the restaurant and led the way.

They ended up in a pleasant corner, at one of the best tables in the restaurant. The elegant table was made of massive oak, decorated with greatly detailed carvings. On each side of the table, stood large sofas, clad in the same wine-reddish velvet as the walls. Drapes in black velvet encircled each table staging, adding a kind of privacy to each table.

Chikane motioned for Himeko to sit on either side and then positioned herself opposite of her, once Himeko had chosen a side. After they had positioned themselves they were each handed a menu and with a bow the manager was gone.

Himeko was still euphoric and resisted the powerful urge to throw her arms around the taller girl's neck in appreciation and gratitude for being taken here. Chikane glanced at her companion over her menu with a small smile, glad to see Himeko being so thrilled.

"Do you like it, Himeko?" She asked, seeing as Himeko couldn't sit still and couldn't resist touching exactly everything, which drew from Chikane a smile, followed by light chuckling. Himeko finally turned her rare amethyst eyes towards Chikane.

"I love it, Chikane-chan! It's amazing!" Himeko squealed delightfully.

"I'm really glad you think so, Himeko." Chikane said sincerely with a joyous smile.

They were soon interrupted by the man with the expensive suit. "I hope everything is in your taste so far. My name is Kashiwagi Asao, I'm the manager of this restaurant and I will personally attend to your table this evening," he said with a courteous bow and a pleasant smile plastered on his face.

"Yes, everything is perfect. I'd like to ask you what you would recommend this evening, Kashiwagi-san?"

"I would highly recommend our five course menu, this evening featuring the "Kani Salad", consisting of King crab, Snow crab and Dungeness crab with lotus chips. Then the "Lobster Miso soup", consisting of Maitake mushrooms and of course lobster. The third dish is one of our signature dishes, our braised Kobe short rib and seared foie gras with spicy sweet soy. Next there will be the "Australian Wagyu skirt steak", with Tobanjan glaze and Shiso marinated Shiitake mushrooms" Chikane noticed Himeko wincing slightly after hearing the forth dish. "…and for desert there's "Berries Warabi", which features mixed berries, ginger crème, green tea-dusted Warabi and soy milk gelato." Asao recited flawlessly. Chikane was clearly impressed and made a mental note that she would praise him the next time she spoke with her father.

"That sounds superb, what do you think, Himeko?" She asked, turning towards Himeko. Asao also looked at the golden-haired girl, expectantly. It made Himeko somewhat nervous.

"Ye-yes, it sounds fantastic." Himeko said, not quite used to eat that kind of food.

Chikane wasn't totally convinced and leaned towards Himeko. "Do you really think so?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course, it's only…" Himeko said, turning to silence.

"Only?" Chikane asked.

"Nothing, I really do, Chikane-chan," she responded cheerfully with a smile.

"If you say so, then," Chikane straightened up and turned towards Asao, who had been watching the whole scene with a small smile, which there was no trace of any longer. "We would like to have the five course menu," she finished.

"Excellent, miss Himemiya. What would you like to drink? Would you like our "wine package", consisting of four different wines, one glass to each of the four first dishes?" Asao asked.

"No, thank you, only some water, please." Chikane answered, although she knew that this kind of dinner almost required some wine or champagne.

"Absolutely, and you miss?" Asao asked, looking at Himeko.

"I'd like some water too, please." Himeko said.

He nodded and smiled warmly. "Of course, now if you will excuse me," he said and bowed deeply, after taking their menu's, and turned around to head for the kitchen. _That shy golden-haired girl must be truly intriguing to have caught the attention of the usually icy princess, Himemiya Chikane,_ Asao mused with a smile on his face.

* * *

Makoto poked Souma on the cheek once. "Souma?" No reaction. She tried again. Still no reaction. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him slightly, trying to wake him up, but he fell lifelessly down on the couch again once she released her grip on him. _Oh boy, he's usually not this hard to stir, but now he's almost as bad as Himeko._ Makoto inhaled deeply and moved closer to Souma's ear.

"WAKE UP ALREADY!"

"AAAH!" Souma shouted and waved his arms frantically as he fell of the couch with a loud thud. "Ouch," he whined while rubbing his butt. "What was that for?" He looked up at Makoto with a mixture of pain and annoyance.

"I tried everything to wake you up, that was the only thing that worked." Makoto said nonchalantly. Souma muttered something angrily and inaudibly, as he stood up.

"What did you wake me for?" He asked, annoyance evident in his tone.

"Remember Himemiya Chikane? You know, that girl Himeko met earlier today that I told you about." Makoto said, with a serious face. Souma nodded.

"It turned out that Himeko met her at the café by coincidence and had lunch with her."

Souma's expression changed from irritation to surprise. "Really? That's weird," he pondered.

"Yes, and there's more. Himeko invited her to the concert tonight and Himemiya then asked Himeko out to dinner, the very same day as they met each other for the first time!" Makoto proclaimed anxiously.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Souma said. Makoto felt a bit irritated, seeing as what she said didn't have the desired effect on Souma.

"Don't you feel a bit suspicious? That's not what you would normally do." Makoto pointed out.

"Hmm, that's true…" Souma said contemplative, deep in thought. "Maybe she just wanted to show her gratitude?"

"A dinner? That's too much don't you think?"

"Yeah, you're right…" Souma scratched the back of his neck.

"We'll have to keep an eye on her at the concert tonight." Makoto concluded.

"Ah, yeah…" Souma sighed inwardly. _I hope Makoto know what she's doing.

* * *

_

Himeko sighed contentedly, they had finished the signature dish, which was outstanding and they now waited for the forth dish.

"It was really delicious, what do you think, Chikane-chan?" Himeko chirped happily.

"Yeah, you're right, it was divine." Chikane agreed, very satisfied. Himeko smiled slightly towards Chikane, then she once again remembered Shizuka and blushed vaguely. Chikane smiled back and didn't think much of the blush, other than it was cute.

"Ne, Chikane-chan?" Himeko started.

"Yes, what is it, Himeko?" Chikane asked, smiling reassuringly.

"Uhm, about earlier today… who exactly are your friends?" She asked, uncertainty evident in her voice. Himeko wanted to know exactly, needed to know, she was still curious about Shizuka. Chikane's smile disappeared and she felt somewhat uneasy, she didn't really want to talk about them.

"Well, they aren't really my friends. I only knew one of them from before, Kyousuke the boy with the curly hair, who is my old childhood friend," she said and drank some of her water.

"A childhood friend, huh?" Himeko mused.

"Yes, from when I lived in Kyoto. I hadn't seen him in ten years, so when I met him coincidentally on the street today I was very surprised to say the least. When we were young he had a crush on me, but I rejected him and since then I started to avoid him. I didn't like him, I still don't." Chikane said with a frown. "I met him because our fathers had some business together, you see, he's father owns a big hotel chain and at that time my father was interested in that business, that was also the same year he opened this restaurant."

"I see, so… the others you don't know?"

"No, I know nothing about them, except their names and that they're friends of Kyousuke and that they all come from Kyoto." Chikane announced. "And that they are here mainly to see your concert, which they seemed to be very excited about it," she added as an afterthought. _Especially Shizuka, _she thought, fuming, as she couldn't stand that girl.

"Are they coming to my concert?!" Himeko exclaimed in panic. _That means t-that girl is coming too, right?_

"Yes." Chikane nodded. _Sadly, _she wanted to add. Himeko frowned at that and looked a bit worried.

"Ladies." Asao had arrived at their table with two waiters at his side, a man and a woman, who had been accompanying him the whole evening, they were both in their mid-twenties and very professional and knowledgeable. "I would like to present to you the "Australian Wagyu skirt steak"." He said and gestured towards the impressive dish that was placed in front of them by the waiters. "Bon appétit," he said and they all bowed, before leaving.

Chikane smiled in approval and uttered a quiet "Thank you," to the waitress. Himeko did the same, although instead of smiling she was staring profoundly at the plate, almost anxiously. Chikane frowned and wondered what might be wrong.

"It looks delicious." Chikane commented and smiled genuinely at Himeko.

"Ye-yes, it does." Himeko said, smiling nervously.

They started to eat and already after their first bite, they could both genuinely state that it was indeed delicious. They ate in comfortable silence for awhile before Himeko decided to open her mouth.

"Thank you for taking me here, Chikane-chan, this is truly amazing. B-but… uhm… why did you ask me out in the first place?" Himeko wondered, blushing slightly.

Chikane's small smile faded slowly as she thought about earlier, when Shizuka suddenly hugged Himeko._ I wanted to be near you and keep you away from that loathsome girl._ She felt her anger well up inside again.

"Think of it as a token of my gratitude for being invited to your concert." Chikane said, her smile reappearing.

"B-but that was a repay for earlier!" Himeko uttered in disbelief. _How can she pay me back on my repay?_

"You really didn't have to pay me back for that, Himeko. Actually, I just wanted to be your friend, can I not?" Chikane confessed, with a fearful look.

Himeko's blush increased a tad bit at that, but nodded eagerly nevertheless. "Of course, Chikane-chan! I want to be your friend too," she admitted wholeheartedly.

"I'm glad, Himeko." Chikane smiled a beautiful smile that captivated Himeko, but soon frowned. "I actually don't have many friends, I'm usually very antisocial, but with you it's different," she announced, which made Himeko feel special and as she fastened her gaze in her lap, she felt a pleasant warmth well up inside.

"I… I think the same about you. Actually, I don't have many friends either… I only have Mako-chan, whom I told you about earlier and also my childhood friend Oogami-kun."

Chikane looked at Himeko. _I wonder who this "Oogami-kun" is._ "Will… Oogami-kun be at the concert as well?" Chikane asked, feeling a little bit uneasy, which she found strange.

"Yes, I think so." Himeko nodded.

"Then I'll get to meet both of your friends, I'm looking forward to it." Chikane half lied, she still didn't like to socialize with people after all, other than Himeko of course.

Himeko beamed at her. "I'm sure they'll like you just as much as-" Himeko shut her mouth abruptly and blushed in embarrassment. "… I do," she finished in a quiet voice, just barely reaching Chikane's eyes. Himeko looked away, focusing on her food.

Chikane smiled and gazed at Himeko. _She's so cute._ "Thank you, Himeko," she said appreciatively.

Himeko simply nodded her head once shyly. They once again ate in silence. After awhile Chikane had finished her dish and sighed contentedly, it had been truly delicious and she made a mental note to remember to give plenty tip. She looked at her companion opposite of her and noticed that she had finished her serving of food as well, save for a small pile of Shiitake mushrooms. Himeko looked torn as she stared anxiously at the mushrooms with a frown, before she picked one up, shut her eyes tightly and brought it closer to her mouth, ever so slowly. She was about to put it in her mouth when she felt someone tug her hand away gently and therefore opened her eyes, just in time to see Chikane put the mushroom in her mouth. Himeko's eyes widened in surprise and a blush crept its way to her cheeks as she gawked at her regal companion in utmost disbelief.

"You don't like Shiitake mushrooms, do you?" Chikane pointed out the obvious. "That's why you looked so anxious when we ordered, you should've told me and we could've ordered something else."

"No… I'm not very fond of them." Himeko admitted, the blush increased from the embarrassment. "Everything was delicious, really! I just don't like Shiitake…" Himeko dropped her head, staring at her lap, still very embarrassed.

"I'm sorry if I upset you by my… action, but you don't have to eat them." Chikane tilted her head slightly and smiled reassuringly. _Why did I have to do that?! Stupid, acting on impulse like that!_ She mentally scolded herself.

"N-no, not at all! But… I don't want to leave anything on the plate, now that you have taken me to your father's restaurant." Himeko mumbled quietly.

"It's okay, Himeko. I don't want you to eat something that you loathe." Chikane argued, still with a reassuring smile plastered on her face.

"T-thanks, Chikane-chan…" Himeko peeked slightly at Chikane, she resembled an ashamed dog.

"Don't force yourself, ne?" Chikane requested, resisting an urge to stroke Himeko's soft glossy golden-hair.

* * *

Shizuka and Hitomi knocked on the door to room number 718, the door next to theirs, room number 716. The stayed at one of Kyousuke's father's hotels, one of the more prominent hotels in Japan. The door finally opened and the one who opened was Ren, greeting the both of them with a smile. He was sporting a pair of black baggy jeans, a pair of white sneakers and an orange tee-shirt with a distinct print.

"Yo, are you ready?"

The both nodded and Hitomi tiptoed and reached up to embrace Ren. Shizuka rolled her eyes at the two turtle-doves and walked past them into the room. The room was similar to theirs, huge, the same stupendous furnishing, the same sensation of elegance the second you walk into the room and the captivating view. It was top notch and it was easy to understand why it was one of the most esteemed hotels in Japan.

She found Kyousuke sitting in a leather armchair, pressing some buttons on his phone, unaware of her presence. He was clad in a pair of black suit pants, a navy blue shirt and a pair of indoors velvet slippers. He was the haughty picture of a refined heir and Shizuka couldn't help but shake her head at the sight. She herself was wearing a pair of figure flattering, short beige girl shorts, a white tank top underneath a beige cardigan and a pair of beige high-heels.

Shizuka decided to play a small prank on Kyousuke and so approached him from behind, bent down and blew a hot stream of air into his left ear, rather seductively. Startled, Kyousuke barely managed to remain seated and turned around promptly, where he found a smirking Shizuka.

He blushed slightly and pouted rather uncharacteristically and turned around yet again to hide the small blush.

"Did I scare you? Aaw, little Kyouske is scared," she mocked him with a smirk.

"N-no!" Kyouske argued unconvincingly and crossed his arms.

As much as she enjoyed teasing Kyousuke, she was the teasing-type, she decided to not push it.

"Are you ready to go? The concert starts in 50 minutes."

Kyousuke stood up and turned around. "Yes, I am. Are you excited?"

"O-of course," Shizuka stuttered. She crossed her arms and looked away. This would be her second time seeing Himeko for real, not on television, the first time was just earlier today. She was nervous to death, but excited nevertheless.

Kyousuke simply smirked and gave her a look as if to say _'tonight is the night'_ and walked past her, joining the others. After all he was just as excited, only maybe for a different reason.

* * *

Chikane had just met Oogami Souma and Saotome Makoto and she couldn't help but notice how suspicious Makoto looked at her from the moment they shook hands, especially whenever she glanced at Himeko. Her first impression of Oogami Souma however was that he was quite handsome and very well-mannered, treating her with utter respect. Both Souma and Makoto seemed to be very close and dear to Himeko, which made her think that she didn't have anyone like that.

They were all going to the concert together, including Himeko. Souma and Himeko were engaged in a conversation, talking merrily. Chikane glanced at them, intrigued about what they might be talking about. She soon found herself gazing into a pair of emerald eyes instead, who were glaring slightly at her, belonging to a certain friend of Himeko. Chikane sighed inwardly and shifted her gaze to look forward instead. _What's her problem?_

"So, what do you think about Himeko?" Chikane turned to her right.

"Me?" She asked and pointed at herself, just to buy some time, as the question had come as a surprise. Makoto nodded.

"Well… she seems to be a good person and I think she is… interesting." Chikane said, feeling a bit uncertain.

"I see… and why do you think that?"

"I found out that she's an artist and that we both share the same interest, music, as I'm a pianist. She is very kind, inviting me to the concert." Chikane responded, feeling like she was being interrogated and started to think that Makoto was quite strange.

Makoto raised her eyebrows in slight surprise at her answer. _She didn't know that Himeko's an artist? Then she can't be a stalker after all…_ Makoto scolded herself mentally. _There I go again, presuming the worst about people. Maybe she just wanted to show her appreciation like Souma said, although in a very fancy way. Well… she's a Himemiya after all. _She decided to act a bit friendlier towards Chikane and started by giving her a small smile.

"So, you're a pianist, huh?" She asked, after all Chikane didn't know that Makoto already knew that.

"Yes, I am."

"How long have you been-" Makoto was interrupted by a loud giggle, coming from a certain blonde, who was being tickled by Souma for some reason.

Chikane frowned slightly at the sight. _My, how close they seem to be… Oogami Souma, childhood friend… right?_

Amidst all the giggling, Himeko glanced at Chikane and Makoto, who was gazing back at her. She blushed a light crimson and tried to push away Souma's hands. "S-stop… O-Oogami-kun!" She panted between fits of giggles. Souma smirked slightly and withdrew his hands.

Himeko locked gazes with Chikane and opened her mouth to say something when Souma pointed in front of him and exclaimed, "There it is! The Daikanyama arena." It was a huge facility, mainly used for sport events, but also for music events, such as this. They all turned their heads. There it was indeed, as well as a lot of people, who had come for the concert.

"Wow, there sure are a lot of people here." Makoto commented.

"Yeah, indeed." Souma nodded.

They would be using a special entrance, to avoid the obvious commotion it would cause otherwise. It was a set of stairs leading to a door, guarded by a couple of big, tough-looking guys. Himeko would be going first to make sure that they could all use this entrance.

Himeko started to climb the stair, but didn't get far, until her sore foot from earlier decided to betray her and she felt herself starting to fall helplessly backwards. She shut her eyes and anticipated the hard fall to come.

Chikane felt her heart drop when she realized that Himeko was going to fall and leaped towards her. Although, she felt her heart drop even lower when she saw a flash of bright green sweep by and realized that it was too late.


End file.
